Where Uzbekistan Meets Afghanistan: 7 Things to Do in Termez
When you speak to anyone who has been to or wants to go to Uzbekistan, they all have Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand on their list; and for good reason! These spots have beautiful, sparkling architecture, plenty of guesthouses, restaurants and great transport connections.
So why isn’t Termez on the list?
It’s definitely more of a challenge to get to, the sights have not been maintained or restored but they ARE fascinating, and the accommodation situation is very much limited (quite literally the opposite of the other ‘classic’ Silk Road cities).
And I’d imagine that its close proximity to Afghanistan may put travellers off, though it absolutely had the opposite effect on us!
Termez is for the more adventurous traveller who wants to venture away from the beaten path, explore ancient Buddhist sites (yep, Buddhism was practised here before Islam, meaning that these sites are OLD!), and maybe catch a glimpse of Afghanistan (or you can even cross into Afghanistan at the border for an even bigger adventure).
We travelled from Samarkand to Termez, stayed in a guesthouse run by a local who actually used to live in our hometown for a couple of months (what a SMALL world!), and visited the nearby historic sites in July 2025.
This guide will give you all the best things to do in Termez, as well as fill in the missing gaps in the limited info you’ll see online for Termez: practical travel tips, what not to do, where to stay, entrance fees, transportation, etc.
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Things to Do in Termez
The things to do in Termez are fascinating for history lovers, adventure travellers, and archaeology fans. The historical sights are rough and ready, not in great condition, and require you to use a lot of imagination.
In every single attraction we visited, we found one main sign that gave us the history and background in English. Honestly, it blew my mind because we found more info in Termez than we did in some of the main Silk Road cities.
1. Karatepa
Karatepa is a Buddhist archaeological site right next to the border and Amudarya river. It is an ancient site that was in use between first and fifth centuries.
You can wander around and walk up the slight hill to get a great vantage point of the ruins from above. From up here, you can also see across the river and into Afghanistan. If the border guards are present, don’t be obvious with your photos! When we visited, we were the only people visiting and there were no border guards.
There is absolutely no shelter here; you’ll be fully exposed to the elements and it is very dusty and dry which amplifies the heat, so make sure you have plenty of sun protection.
Entrance fee costs 40,000 UZS, but you’ll likely have to pay the guy at Fayaztepa for entrance to both of these sites. It’s cash only and feels a little like a bribe because this guy just cycled up to us and asked for payment. He did however, have all the official paperwork showing prices for foreigners.
2. Fayaztepa
Another Buddhist archaeological site right beside Karatepa; and just like Karatepa, dates back to the first century. The site has a stupa on a raised platform that overlooks what would have been a monastery, living quarters etc.
If you have a 50,000 UZS note on you, you’ll see Fayaztepa is on it!
The guy that collects payment for Karatepa and Fayaztepa will take you to the stupa and unlock a little door that lets you inside. It is a squeeze, but you’ll get to see the original stupa up close and a small selection of offerings. The stupa you see on the outside is a recent protective layer to limit the destruction of the original.
At the entrance of Fayaztepa is where you will see the info for both Karatepa and Fayaztepa.
3. Zurmala Stupa
Zurmala Stupa is the ruins of what was the largest Buddhist stupa in the region and is recognised as the oldest construction in Uzbekistan that is still standing; it dates back to the first century. It’s very much weathered, but is still an impressive sight of an ancient stupa sat in amongst cornfields!
4. Kyrk Kyz
Literally meaning forty girls, there are several legends about the actual story behind the name of the fortress. One of which is that Queen Gulayim and her forty concubines took shelter here and fought off nomadic invaders.
Kyrk Kyz construction dates back to the ninth and tenth centuries, and is believed to have had several different purposes – a fortress, a caravanserai, a madrasah for girls, a monastery. The fortress ruins are about 1000 years old.
Savvy Traveller Pro Tips 🇺🇿
After exploring Uzbekistan for three weeks, these are our favourite booking tools that we couldn’t travel without!
5. Sultan Saodat Mausoleum
The family mausoleum of the Sayyids who were believed to be descendants of Prophet Muhammad. The oldest building dates back to the ninth century.
There are several tombs you can wander inside that have intricate but plain brickwork, and the main event is the mausoleum at the very end that has a lot of the blue tiling intact. It is huge and has an interesting ceiling brick decoration also.
From the Sultan Saodat Mausoleum, you can see a new and beautiful blue-domed mosque of Sultan Saadat and ruins of old Termez city in between.
6. Al Hakim At-Termizi Mausoleum
Not far from Karatepa and Fayaztepa is Al Hakim At-Termizi Mausoleum. Hop out on the drive up to the entrance to take a photo of the old wall!
The complex contains a beautiful mausoleum with intricate decoration inside, a small museum, and lots of outdoor seating. Round the back of the mausoleum, definitely check out the view over Amudarya river and into Afghanistan.
7. Try the Local Wine
Surxondaryo region of Uzbekistan is known for its watermelons, its wine, and for being bloody hot. Apparently Termez comes from the Greek for hot: thermos.
The wine here is great! We tried a bottle of red that used saperavi grapes (the famous Georgian grape). And Termez has a huge number of bottle shops exclusively selling alcohol: vodka, local wines and beers, imported spirits.
We were really surprised to see so many of them lining the streets because alcohol seems to be quite secretive and hidden in other more remote regions like Fergana and Khiva that we visited. Termez, though, is all for the alcohol!
Is it safe?
When we visited in July 2025, we felt completely safe. Locals seemed a little more stand-offish here, but maybe that’s because this area of Uzbekistan doesn’t really see much tourism.
Termez is often named the final frontier because it quite literally is the city that runs up to the Amudarya river that creates the natural border between the Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
As with all border cities, tensions can flare so staying up to date with the current situation is vital.
But during our visit the biggest danger we felt was the insane summer heat! 51°C IS NO JOKE, FOLKS!
And keep an eye out for snakes when you’re exploring off the deserty sites such as Fayaztepa and Karatepa, or anywhere for that matter. This really does feel like snake town, though we never saw any ourselves.
Do I need any permits?
I read a couple of blog posts where people said they were marched to the police station to be registered in person as soon as they arrived into the city. I saw reviews where people stated that they had to buy permits to get to some of the historical sites close to the border.
But, nothing like this was required when we visited.
Or maybe we just lucky and got away without having to do any of it?
I asked our accommodation host about permits, etc. and he seemed confused about the question. (He spoke perfect English FYI). Our host just completed the regular online police registration for us which is a standard requirement in all accommodation across the country, and we had no issues.
Where to Stay in Termez
Confortable Homestay (££)
Termez isn’t full of accommodation options, but the lesser quantity doesn’t mean lesser quality. Honestly, one of THE absolute best guesthouses we have stayed in in Uzbekistan is sat right here (and I’m not just saying this because the guy running the place used to live in our hometown in the UK!).
Comfortable Homestay is exactly what it says on the tin. Rooms are large, the shared bathrooms are modern and clean, the huge communal space has a large TV, loads of seating, a huge kitchen with all the utensils you could ever imagine to need, a large outdoor courtyard space, and Akbar might even give you a bottle of local wine, which is delicious!
And if you stay at Akbar’s place, let him know that you heard about him through us, his ‘paisanos’. He’ll know it’s us.
🛏️ Plan your Stay 🛏️
How to Get to Termez
It’s a mission, I won’t sugar-coat it. Your two main options are by shared taxi from Samarkand or by night train from Samarkand or Tashkent.
Book your train tickets in advance either on the official Uzbekistan Railways website or through 12Go.
But there is SO much detail and nitty gritty that you need to know about both options that it will have to be it’s very own dedicated blog post. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, read our post on Uzbekistan train travel so that you know what to expect.
How to Get Around Termez
There are some marshrutkas that will take you to some of these spots, but they’re not reliable and getting between the locations will be a challenge. If the weather is hot, trust me, you don’t want to hanging around crossing your fingers for a marshrutka.
Your best bet for sure is hiring a driver. You can either hire a driver or a driver and guide. Obviously a driver and guide will be more expensive, but if you’re really into the history and want to know more than the basic info on the main boards, go for the guide. If you stay with Akbar at Comfortable Homestay, he has contacts to help you out!
YandexGo works for getting around the city too, but Yandex Eats doesn’t. We couldn’t actually find any food delivery apps that covered Termez.
The Best Time to Visit Termez
The best time to visit is NOT in the summer! July and August are BRUTAL. We were dealing with temperatures of 51°C in early July and it was an experience to say the very least. It’s the sort of heat that Accuweather tells you is dangerous and you should just stay inside otherwise you’re going to die.
But our accommodation host said that summers reach 55°C as standard; it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
The historic sites are very exposed, so we started to feel ill after just twenty minutes of wandering around even with a thick blackout umbrella.
If we were to go back, we would plan for April/May or September/October. Temperatures should not be too severe, maybe in the 30s.
How Long to Spend in Termez
We saw everything that we had planned to see in Termez in a day. I have heard of people getting the night train into Termez, leaving bags at luggage storage at the train station, hiring a driver for the day and then getting the night train out of Termez that same day.
While this is definitely feasible, it will be miserable. You will likely need recovery time after the night train, so I would recommend having one or two nights in Termez unless you are very tight for time.
Where to Eat in Termez
This was tough. Everything is meaty. There are plenty of restaurants in town, but in all honesty, there are none that I would actually recommend.
Again, if you’re staying with Akbar at Comfortable Homestay, you could get some food from the local supermarket – Korzinka – and then cook at his place.
Where are you heading next?
The main city that connects Termez is Samarkand so this is likely where you will be heading next. Samarkand is a beautiful Silk Road city with sparkling mausoleums and madrasahs.
If you’re planning on taking trains around the country (which we thoroughly recommend), you’ll want to read up on all our top tips on how to book tickets, train types, seat types, etc. because trust me – not all Uzbek trains are equal.
Plan more of your trip with these:
- Travel Tips for Uzbekistan: 13 Useful Things to Know
- Uzbekistan Railways: Your Guide to Uzbek Train Travel
- What to Wear in Uzbekistan: Responsible Travel Tips
- Uzbek Food: What to Eat as a Vegetarian Traveller
- 9 Spectacular Things to Do in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- 10 Fascinating Things to Do in Bukhara (plus food & drink spots!)
- Things to Do in Khiva: The Traveller’s Guide
- How to Take the Khiva to Bukhara Train for Adventure Travellers
- Top 12 Things to Do in Tashkent
- Tashkent’s Best Restaurants for Vegetarians: 8 Top Spots
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